Weary Britain accepts word of conman

December 18 2002

A weary British press and public appear to have accepted the word of convicted conman Peter Foster and ended the row over "Cheriegate".

Foster's nervous seven-minute statement yesterday, in which he claimed he was the victim of a massive character assassination - but also cleared British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie of any misconduct in the purchase of two flats in Bristol - seems to have achieved his aim of drawing a line under the saga, which was entering its third week.

Most of the other papers seemed to have lost their stomach for the chase, with even Mrs Blair's most vociferous critic, the Daily Mail, relegating the story to the inside pages.

Reading from a prepared speech yesterday, 40-year-old Foster denied targeting the Blairs in an elaborate sting, but said he became involved with their property deal through his girlfriend, Mrs Blair's close friend and fitness adviser Carole Caplin. ");document.write("

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He rejected claims that Mrs Blair, a leading human rights lawyer, had intervened in his battle against deportation but contradicted her assertion that she had not spoken to him about his case.

Foster apologised to the Blairs for the embarrassment he had brought on them and blamed a business associate for leaking the story to the media.

"I apologise to Tony and Cherie for the mess a little help from your friends can get you into," Foster said.

"I do know, though, that intentions on both sides were always honourable."

Foster's claims were met sceptically, particularly his assertion that no-one had lost money dealing with him.

The Mirror said Foster was not worth the cost of deportation while The Sun called him "a shyster, a snake-oil salesman, a huckster, a wide boy".

"This country will smell sweeter when he is out of it," it said.

A poll in The Guardian showed public opinion had swung against Mr and Mrs Blair since her tearful explanation on live television last week of her dealings with Foster.

For the first time in two years, more people (45 per cent) were dissatisfied with Mr Blair's performance as prime minister than were satisfied (44 per cent).

But the Tory opposition was also a loser, with its support falling a further two percentage points to 27 per cent.